Update: Hansen Healthy, Management Negotiating with FEG

Following his withdrawal from his New Year’s Eve clash against
fellow top 10-ranked lightweight Gesias
Cavalcante, reigning Dream lightweight tournament champion
Joachim
Hansen seemed to disappear.

Neither his coach nor his training partners nor his management
could say anything about the whereabouts of the likeable
Norwegian.

Since the Dec. 31 bout in Japan had been reportedly cancelled due
to Hansen failing medical clearance because of a head injury, wild
rumors circulated about the physical condition of the 29-year-old
“Hellboy.” Fueled by non-statements from Dream event producer
Keiichi Sasahara, speculation even went as far as suggesting Hansen
might suffer from a possibly career-ending brain tumor.

John Benjamin, who represents Joachim
Hansen in business matters, told Sherdog.com exactly what went
down at Saitama Super Arena before the fight: “Joachim was warming
up with a training partner and when attempting a takedown, his
teammate landed awkwardly on his head. He was immediately rushed to
the hospital where they diagnosed a concussion, which is why the
fight had to be cancelled.”

On Friday morning Sherdog.com reported that Hansen is healthy now
but in a contract dispute with Fighting & Entertainment Group.
However, Benjamin contacted Sherdog.com to make it clear there is
no “dispute” with FEG. Rather, Hansen’s management is in
negotiations with the company and expects to iron out a date for
his first title defense.

Meanwhile Hansen is resting in Norway.

Baron out of UFC 95

French lightweight David Baron
will miss out on a chance to avenge his May 2006 loss against
Scandinavian rival Per Eklund.
Baron had to withdraw from their Feb. 21 bout due to a persistent
foot injury. Even though the injury did not prevent him from
training for the fight, it is too serious to compete with, as Baron
is unable to weigh both legs evenly, let alone run, a source from
his camp told Sherdog.com.

The 36-year-old former European Shooto champion made the UFC on the
back of a surprise submission win over Japanese standout Hayato
Sakurai in May of last year. He botched his UFC debut last
October, however, when Jim Miller
choked him out. After what happened to his compatriot Samy
Schiavo, who was cut from the promotion following two losses,
the fight against Eklund was already seen as Baron’s final chance
in the UFC.

A replacement for the firefighter from Bois-Colombes, a commune in
the northwestern suburbs of Paris, has since been found in newcomer
Evan
Dunham. The submission specialist, who fights out of Xtreme
Couture in Las Vegas, is a veteran of the Northwestern MMA circuit
and has also been a member of Team Shamrock at the PFP “Ring of
Fire” event in the Philippines in late 2007.

Photo by Sherdog.com

Goran Reljic will
continue to sit idle.

Reljic to miss first half of 2009

Young Croatian Goran
Reljic, who made a boatload of new fans with his strong UFC
debut against Wilson
Gouveia last May, will be out of action longer than expected
after recently undergoing back surgery.

Zoran
Saric, who represents his 24-year-old countryman in business
matters, explained the situation to Sherdog.com via e-mail:

Having Reljic return to Europe to fight on the June event in
Germany “would have been a great idea, but unfortunately his
medical situation will not allow him to fight. His back is getting
better, but since Goran is a huge talent and getting very popular
in the UFC, we need to be very careful with his health and career.
I don't want to push him until he is 100-percent sound and ready to
fight. We are constantly scanning his back and yesterday doctors in
Zadar Hospital decided to do a small surgical procedure [connected]
to the disc issue.”

Expect the spectacular kickboxer and skillful BJJ player to return
to action at UFC 100 in July at the earliest. He will have gone
more than 13 months without a professional mixed martial arts bout
by then.

Night of Gladiators looking to crown 205-pound
grand prix champion

In the tradition of great European tournaments like KSW or the
now-defunct European Vale Tudo series, Croatian promoter “UFC
Gladiator” will put on an eight-man, one-night tournament to find
the strongest fighter at 205 pounds.

The winner will get to take home a total of $10,000. Promoter Mario
Urlic is currently accepting applications. It is expected that “UFC
Gladiator” fighter Maro Perak
will be in the tournament, and other top regulars of the European
circuit like Jan
Blachowicz, Igor
Pokrajac, Mikko
Rupponen and Jair
Goncalves are also likely to enter, barring injury problems or
promoter indifference.

The final roster and the brackets are likely going to be announced
by early March. Sherdog.com will of course stay on top of the
situation to keep you up to date on what promises to be a blast in
the Balkans.

Daley vs. Depret tentatively scheduled for
March

European top welterweight Paul Daley has
made plans to face Belgian up-and-comer Tommy
Depret in the main event of a self-promoted show, scheduled for
March 29 in Daley’s hometown of Nottingham, England. The
inner-European duel, which would be Daley’s first since his clash
with Slovenian judoka Bojan
Kosednar last July, is still on shaky legs due to prior
commitments from both fighters.

Daley’s next fight will come against former Bodog Fight
welterweight champion and UFC veteran Nick
Thompson on the main card of MFC 20 “Destined for Greatness,”
which takes place Feb. 20 in Enoch, Alberta, Canada. A Golden Glory
product, Depret will see action against compatriot Wim
Deputter in one of two MMA bouts at “It’s Showtime” in
Antwerpen, Belgium, on Feb. 8.

With Daley’s management looking for a new deal with a major
promotion following the collapse of EliteXC, “Semtex” has
discovered new possibilities to keep himself busy by promoting his
own events. Look for more top fighters without a major deal to
follow his example in the years to come.

M-1 Challenge entering its sophomore
season

The M-1 Challenge -- M-1 Global’s vehicle to breed and discover
up-and-coming talent from around the globe -- will kick off its
second season on Feb. 21 in Seattle with battles between USA Team
West and Brazil Naja, Fedor
Emelianenko’s Imperial Team and Korea, as well as Finland vs.
Benelux. Adding a third team challenge per event is one of the
changes made to the format of the series.

The other reform for the new season concerns the participating
teams: Joining France, Korea, Japan, the Russian Legion, Spain, the
United States and the World Team, which were already featured on
the first season, are now squads from the Benelux, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Germany, Turkey and the U.K. The Red Devil Fighting Team
will be replaced by Fedor
Emelianenko’s Imperial Team.

Besides Seattle, the event series will have stops in Sofia,
Bulgaria; Tokyo, Japan; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Kansas City, Mo.; Seoul,
Korea; as well as Spain and England. Three of the most interesting
fighters who are taking part in the Feb. 21 event are Finland’s
Lucio
Linhares, Russia’s Alexey
Oleinik and Brazil’s Jair Sorriso.

Linhares is a “naturalized” Brazilian who has been living in
Finland for four years now. The 35-year-old Alliance black belt is
one of the premier BJJ instructors in Scandinavia and has
successfully competed in MMA as well, defeating the ultra-tough
Poles Grzegorz
Jakubowski and Robert Jocz,
as well as handing French hothead Karl
Amoussou his first defeat in 16 months most recently.

Oleinik was brought into the Russian team as a replacement for
“Baby Fedor” Kirill
Sidelnikov, who has been drafted into Affliction in place of
Aleksander
Emelianenko. The 31-year-old sambo stylist is one opponent you
definitely want to avoid, both at 205 pounds and at heavyweight, as
he is well rounded, extremely tough and nearly impossible to
finish.

Jair
Goncalves is your typical late bloomer as far as MMA is
concerned. A fantastic BJJ player who received extensive training
both at Gracie Barra and at Nova Uniao, “Sorriso” made the
transition to MMA in his late 20s. Gifted with one of the most
impressive physiques of any 205-pounder, this Rio de Janeiro native
has earned an excellent reputation in Europe in the last couple of
years.

Winner, Mills pre-TUF 9 U.K. team
favorites

If you believe the list of names that has been leaked out on the
Internet, the U.K. team that will take on an American squad during
the course of the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality
series will be comprised of an interesting mixture of exciting
veterans and potentially hopeful rookies. What has been baffling
many experts is the exclusion of stalwarts Jim
Wallhead and Abdul
Mohamed, who undoubtedly possess the sporting skills to make
the final 16.

In their absence, Wallhead’s Rough House teammate Andre
Winner and Gloucester’s Che Mills
appear to be the pre-show favorites to go all the way for the
Brits. Winner is a former FX3 lightweight champion and has been
very busy in his young career, fighting 12 times since turning pro
in 2006 and beating some decent opposition. Mills is the cousin of
UFC veteran Mark Weir and a
former Cage Rage British welterweight champion. He has good hands
and the killer instinct to finish fights.